WASHINGTON, DC (May 2, 2012) — Trinity Broadcasting Network, the world’s largest religious broadcaster and America’s most-watched faith channel, hosted a group of over 20 cable television professionals, partners, and friends during Joel Osteen’s America’s Night of Hope at Washington, D.C.’s Nationals Park Sunday, April 29. More than fifty thousand filled the home of Major League Baseball’s Washington Nationals for an inspiring message from Osteen, pastor of the 43,000-strong Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, along with special music from Lakewood’s talented house band, and a special appearance by American Idol runner-up Danny Gokey. As it has with previous large-stadium Night of Hope events, TBN provided the global television coverage for the evening at Nationals Park.

“We’ve been blessed to partner with Joel Osteen Ministries over the years to broadcast these incredibly popular Night of Hope evenings to millions of viewers all over America and the world,” said TBN founder Paul Crouch, Sr. “But we couldn’t get this kind of inspirational programming out to our viewers without the help of our partners and friends in the cable industry. They are the ones who help make it possible for us to reach over 90 percent of the nation’s households.”

The Night of Hope phenomenon began in 2004 when Joel and Victoria Osteen filled Madison Square Garden for three events. Since then the Osteens have taken A Night of Hope to over 100 cities across America and abroad, filling arenas to capacity crowds and totaling more than a million attendees. On April 25, 2009, just nine days after opening day, the Osteens held their first annual stadium event at Yankee Stadium with nearly 50,000 attendees and millions more through a televised event in partnership with TBN. Since then, TBN has televised the Osteen’s annual signature event, now called America’s Night of Hope, from Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, U.S. Cellular Park in Chicago, and most recently Nationals Park in Washington D.C., as well as a special Night of Hope event live from Jerusalem.

“We want to thank TBN for partnering with us in bringing a Night of Hope to Washington, D.C.,” said Joel Osteen. “We feel very honored that this network has been behind our ministry right from the beginning. It reminds us of the importance of teamwork in pulling together an event of this magnitude. It only happens because lots of good people and groups work together.”

The cable executives and partners TBN hosted for the D.C. Night of Hope were members of the largest trade and professional associations within the cable industry. Bob Higley, TBN’s Vice President for Cable and Satellite Relations, emphasized the important role that the cable industry plays in religious broadcasting. “Here at TBN, we have a deep regard for the folks in the cable industry who help us get programming like the Night of Hope to our viewers across America,” said Higley. “For nearly 40 years TBN has been airing the best in inspirational, life-changing television around the world, and cable companies have helped expand TBN's reach to millions more households in markets where TBN did not have television stations, and we are grateful for that.”